Glenwood Caverns opening Defiance (Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter) in 2022

[Matt N]

Well, it would appear that I have not one, but two pieces of major USA news for you guys this evening! Ride Entertainment Group, a company that is known for installing rides for numerous different manufacturers, have announced that Gerstlauer will be building a “one-of-a-kind, record-breaking roller coaster” in the United States! The ride will be opening in May 2022 in a currently undisclosed location and will be formally announced within the next few months. Here’s what Ride Entertainment Group had to say about it:

STEVENSVILLE, MD - Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, GmbH, a proud partner of Ride Entertainment, has signed an agreement to manufacture a new, record-breaking roller coaster for a yet-to-be-named client in the United States. The attraction, which is scheduled to open in May of 2022, will be formally announced within the next few months.

“Working with Gerstlauer for over 25 years, I am always astounded by their creativity and ability to innovate no matter what the project is”, said Ed Hiller, CEO of Ride Entertainment. “It is no different with the custom layout and challenging location for this coaster, which is sure to become a showcase attraction known around the world.”

Ride Entertainment’s world-renowned installations team will also be installing this record-breaking coaster for the customer.

“This will certainly be one of the most formidable installations we have faced,” added Hiller. “As this coaster will showcase the incredible talents of Gerstlauer, we believe the same will hold true for the installation and our installation team, which is considered the best in the industry.”

Source: https://www.rideentertainment.com/n...breaking-roller-coaster-in-the-united-states/

I don’t know about you, but I certainly think this is incredibly exciting news, and there’s so many possibilities of parks this could be going to!

In terms of what the ride will be; I’m guessing an Infinity Coaster, and based on some of these quotes, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a pretty massive one, maybe even Karnan-sized or larger. They are certainly making a very big deal about this ride, and I’m expecting something pretty special based on the wording in this press release!

There’s currently all kinds of rumours swirling about where the ride could be headed and what record(s) it will break; I’ve heard quite a few people suggesting that it could be headed to Cedar Point, and that the ride will beat The Smiler’s inversion record. I also heard Silver Dollar City and Dollywood getting thrown into the ring, and even Glenwood Caverns was mentioned at one stage. I think it could be practically anywhere, to be perfectly honest!

One thing’s for sure, though; the USA is getting a really exciting new Gerstlauer coaster in 2022!

 

[pluk]

Another half a degree on the worlds steepest drop nonsense record?

 

[Thameslink Rail]

Another half a degree on the worlds steepest drop nonsense record?

I think we're now at the point where that is the only record that can be broken unless they come up with a record like 'fastest floorless coaster' or 'longest dive coaster'.

 

[Matt N]

Another half a degree on the worlds steepest drop nonsense record?

The press release makes a lot of references to the ride having a “custom layout” and it being “one-of-a-kind”, so I don’t think this will just be another case of TMNT with another half a degree bunged onto the drop, or Smiler with another inversion added onto it, for example.

I think this could be a really exciting ride, personally!

I think we're now at the point where that is the only record that can be broken unless they come up with a record like 'fastest floorless coaster' or 'longest dive coaster'.

Falcon’s Flight, which is being built in Saudi Arabia and is due to open in 2023, might beg to differ on that one, as it’s trying to break the height, speed and length records all in one ride!

 

[Benjsh]

I'm going back next summer so I can't wait.

Just can't see it being any parks in the Cedar Fair chain, they've said they aren't planning any major investments currently. They aren't even opening parks in parts of the country were local rival parks have.

Plus some random website making this announcement isn't the way they do things. I mean Steel Vengeance was in the middle of construction and they wouldn't say anything.

This was my initial reaction too. It does seem to be cutting it fine for a big project like this too.

However it has been confirmed I think by Gerstlauer and industry insiders that it is indeed a 2022 installation for whatever US park is getting it so that's interesting. If not Cedar Point I wonder who it is. A Six Flags park perhaps but I seriously doubt it. Dollywood maybe?

Lots of speculation that it could perhaps be a Smiler beater and take the inversions record as I'm not sure what else it could be otherwise in order to qualify as a world record breaker.

 

[Ethan]

Lots of rumours that they are getting this world record breaking Gerstlauer coaster for 2022

What record is this out of interest?
Edit: Never mind just looked at a post referencing to inversions record. I'd be gutted tbh as that's what makes the smiler so special and unique

 

[Benjsh]

(Taken from Screamscape)

Ride Entertainment issued an interesting statement yesterday that certainly caught the addition of roller coaster lovers out there. According to the post, Gerstlauer will be building a “one-of-a-kind, record-breaking roller coaster in the United States” that is scheduled to open in May 2022, which will be announced formally in the next few months. Note: If you didn’t know, Ride Entertainment serves as the sales company for Gerstlauer and their installation team will be installing this new creation as well.
“Working with Gerstlauer for over 25 years, I am always astounded by their creativity and ability to innovate no matter what the project is,” said Ed Hiller, CEO of Ride Entertainment. “It is no different with the custom layout and challenging location for this coaster, which is sure to become a showcase attraction known around the world.”



I think the 'challenging location' is what's making people think it's CP as well as it obviously will be a record breaker. I still think it could well be for CP but who knows. We shall find out very soon I suspect.

 

[John_P]

I'm not sure how Cedar Point could be deemed a 'challenging location' unless their building the thing over the top of another ride.
Suppose the park opens in a few weeks so if something was happening we'd see some proof then.

 

[Benjsh]

I'm not sure how Cedar Point could be deemed a 'challenging location' unless their building the thing over the top of another ride.
Suppose the park opens in a few weeks so if something was happening we'd see some proof then.

I think this is referring to the plot of land which many CP fanatics seem to think will be the next plot of land for development. It's not much bigger than the plot the Smiler sits on.

 

[Brad97]

"Challenging location" makes me think of somewhere hilly - Cedar Point is completely flat. All the enthusiasts want to believe it's going there but I doubt it. I suppose we'll know if anything is happening when the park opens.

 

[Benjsh]

"Challenging location" makes me think of somewhere hilly - Cedar Point is completely flat. All the enthusiasts want to believe it's going there but I doubt it. I suppose we'll know if anything is happening when the park opens.

Could well be. Although to counter that I'd say Icon was challenging and PB is certainly not hilly.

If this is to be a world beating coaster then it narrows down the options in the US a lot.

 

[Danny]

There's also rumours it's going to Silver Dollar.

At this point, there might as well be rumours it's a Gerst polercoaster wrapped around ToT at Studios.

 

[Dan]

What about Dollywood? They shut down Mountain Sidewinder in 2019 and haven’t replaced it with anything. There’s quite a bit of land next to it too


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[Matt N]

What about Dollywood? They shut down Mountain Sidewinder in 2019 and haven’t replaced it with anything. There’s quite a bit of land next to it too


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Dollywood’s next ride in 2022 is apparently coming from “a manufacturer they’ve never worked with before”, and unfortunately, they’ve worked with Gerstlauer twice before on Mystery Mine and FireChaser Express, so that rules them out. The popular rumour for their 2022 attraction is currently a Sally dark ride, and as for their next coaster, it’s been said that Pete Owens wants a B&M hyper similar to Fury 325/Mako.

All we really know is that some park, somewhere in the USA, is getting a record-breaking Gerstlauer as its 2022 attraction!
EDIT: Apologies, mods; only just realised this was the Cedar Point thread; sorry for going off-topic! I did actually make a thread on this a few weeks back: https://towersstreet.com/talk/threa...ster-due-to-open-in-the-usa-in-may-2022.5752/

 

[Benjsh]

There's also rumours it's going to Silver Dollar.

At this point, there might as well be rumours it's a Gerst polercoaster wrapped around ToT at Studios.

Silver Dollar City is the other huge rumour and they have apparently started digging a site behind one of their water rides.

It could well be going there then. That would be one hell of a coup for them to get another world class coaster not long after Time Traveller.

It's a park I'd love to visit too.

 

[Matt N]

Silver Dollar City is the other huge rumour and they have apparently started digging a site behind one of their water rides.

It could well be going there then. That would be one hell of a coup for them to get another world class coaster not long after Time Traveller.

It's a park I'd love to visit too.

Surprisingly, Time Traveler will actually be 4 years old in 2022, so if SDC is getting a new record-breaking Gerstlauer in 2022, then that would still represent a gap nearly the same as the gap between Outlaw Run and Time Traveler (Outlaw and TT had a 5-year gap between them; Outlaw opened in 2013, while TT opened in 2018).

I wouldn’t say that’s an implausible guess at all, personally!

 

[Rob]

Well we can rule out this being a Six Flags park seeing as Six Flags and Gerstlauer are not on good terms at all following the blame game during the New Texas Giant lawsuit.

I just can't see Cedar Point getting a Gerstlauer as a major coaster. Cedar Point tend to go for the best of the best when it comes to manufactuerers (B&M, Intamin, RMC etc.) and are also very concious of the fact they need coasters with good capacity. I am not sure a Gerstlauer would provide this.

Silver Dollar City would be interesting and it would no doubt be a challenging location for a coaster. One of my other thoughts had been Kentucky Kingdom but that would not be a challenging location at all.

 

[Benjsh]

TBF I think it would be better to see it going to SDC anyway. They are fast emerging into one of the best parks in North America and it's not really fun if CP hoover up all the biggest and best rides.

Be interesting to see them build a ride like Smiler and theme it to fit in with the frontier style theme they have there.

 

[Graeme]

15 inversions. Probably as simple as that,

 

[Jb85]

I still think they may be installing a washing machine element